The products certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil should be available this fall.

BakingBusiness.com,
8/21/2013

by Jeff Gelski

CHICAGO — Blommer Chocolate Co. plans to offer 100% R.S.P.O.-certified, mass balance palm oil in the United States following certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Products should be available this fall. The R.S.P.O. seeks to transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm.

“For more than 60 years Blommer Chocolate Co. has celebrated a deep-seeded culture and companywide philosophy of doing what’s right for not only our consumers and our customers, but also making responsible choices to ensure we support a strong farming community for generations to come,” said Peter Blommer, president and chief operating officer.

The company will work directly with suppliers to better understand and evaluate the palm oil supply chain, said Kip Walk, corporate director, sustainability, for Blommer, a cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier in North America.

“As we are doing with the cocoa supply chain, we aim to achieve traceable supplies while working to protect rainforests and biodiversity, endeavoring to minimize the carbon footprint of our supply chain and support the welfare of all stakeholders, including producers and workers, that contribute to this supply,” he said. “Our palm oil commitment will extend far beyond certification alone to ensure the entire supply chain process, from fields to consumers, is managed responsibly and in line with our three pillars of people, planet and profit.”

The palm oil commitment is an extension of Blommer’s global sustainable origins initiative, which operates farmer training programs in West Africa, Indonesia and the Americas.